Veggie Pizza
Pizza is just about a weekly staple in our house. While my husband’s love of pizza has always been strong, I wasn’t always game for using our limited restaurant outings for only pizza. Once we started making our own pizza at home, I actually started craving pizza regularly. I have two separate posts on the dough and sauce which are linked in the recipe.
If you want to be lazy (no judgement) you can buy fresh dough from your grocery store, farmers market, or sometimes a pizza place. Obviously you can just buy your own sauce but look at those ingredient lists! Once you find a sauce that doesn’t include sugar or a whole bunch of words I can’t pronounce, it’s probably cheaper to make your own! I suggest making a big batch of basic sauce (leave out any spicy or crazy flavors), and storing it in the mason jars (fridge or freezer). You can warm it up in a sauce pan and customize based on the type of pizza or pasta you are making that day.
While we are on the subject of food prep, you could also make the dough ahead of time. Once you let it rise, oil it up and wrap it up tightly in plastic wrap (multiple layers!), and store in the fridge for a few days. Just unwrap it, put it in a bowl and let it naturally return to room temperature before trying to roll it out.
Veggie Pizza on Homemade Dough
1 Pizza (14-16in)
1/4 cup Spinach
1/3 bell pepper
1/4 cup sliced cremini/ or baby bella mushrooms
1/4 cup sliced red onion
1 Roma Tomato
5 leaves fresh basil
For the Pizza Dough:
1 Cup AP Flour (King Arthur is my flour of choice)
3/4 Cup White Whole Wheat Flour (King Arthur is my flour of choice)
2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Honey
2 tsp Active Yeast (1 Packet is 2 tsp)
2/3 Cup Warm Water
2 1/2 TBS Olive Oil (separated)
2 TBS Semonlina Flour or Cornmeal
For the Sauce
¼ Small Onion
2 Beefsteak Tomatoes
4 Garlic Cloves
5 Basil Leaves
½ tsp salt and pepper
2 TBS Olive Oil
1 TBS Tomato paste
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
Optional: Red Pepper Flakes and/or sriracha to make it spicy
Make the pizza dough (click for steps)
This can be done early in the morning or a couple hours before you eat.
Make the sauce (click for steps)
This can be done up to two weeks in advance or that same day.
Slice spinach, onion, basil, and tomato. Chop bell pepper in strips or chucks
Grate or slice mozzarella
Preheat oven with pizza stone to 400 degrees (baking sheet can be used if you don’t own a stone)
Spread out a small (1/4 cup) of semolina flour on a pizza peel. (Use AP flour if you don’t have semolina)
Using your hands, begin spreading out the dough into a circular shape. This will take some time, turning and pushing with the base of your palm. Flip and continue to shape, adding more flour when needed, until desired shape is reached.
Remember: You aren’t a professional so your shape won’t be perfect the first time. You’ll improve with practice! Don’t keep reforming or dough will become tough
Give the peel a little shake to ensure the pizza dough isn’t sticking on any edge. Lift any edges that seem to be sticking and sprinkle semolina flour (or cornmeal)
Giving a good shake with the peel, transfer the dough to the hot stone in the oven.
Cook dough for 5 minutes.
Slide the peel underneath the dough, and pull out of the oven.
VERY QUICKLY: spread out sauce, add spinach and mushrooms, add the cheese, top with bell pepper, onion, and tomato
Return to oven and cook approximately 15 minutes or until cheese/toppings turn golden brown
Top with fresh basil, and optionally red pepper flakes and/or parmesan cheese
